New legislation introduced in the Senate last week would close the “because I feel like it” loophole in the Freedom of Information Act.
“The Freedom of Information Act is one of our nation’s most important laws, established to give Americans greater access to their government and to hold government accountable,” U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said in a statement last week after joining Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in proposing legislation to make government more transparent. “Both Democrats and Republicans understand that a commitment to transparency is a commitment to the American values of openness and accountability.”
Unfortunately, the federal government continues to fall short in this regard. President Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder directed all federal agencies in 2009 to update their FOIA guidelines and operate with a presumption of openness. Essentially, they are asking all agencies to presume that all documents are open, except in rare instances. Continue>>>
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